Friday, January 31

Sometimes Life feels like it will not slow down. I have recently started working as a real estate agent. I thought that it would start up slow and I could work part time. Turns out I have better people that I am associated with then I thought, and I have been given many referrals and people coming to me for help. In turn, I have been extremely busy for the last two weeks.

I have so much respect for the mothers of the world who work full-time and mother full-time. I have had such a hard time doing it and I am extremely tired. Up in the morning and don't stop until after my bedtime. I have been ignoring my kids and taking them to the office with me. I have even been dreaming about work and waking up in the middle of the night convinced that I have an offer or that I need to check my email. I am really enjoying it and having fun, however it is very hard work to keep organized with such a busy life. I know it will not always be this busy so I just have to take it hour by hour and day by day.

Brian and I have tried to make special moments when we can. We have been going rock climbing and go karting and to movies. We haven't had much time to spend together in the last few weeks so we are trying to make up for it anytime we get. He started a new job back in September and since then our time together has gone down tremendously as well.

This is one of many drawings that the kids come up with at church. We have decided that while we are at church the kids are only allowed to drop pictures with paper and pen no other things are allowed to be brought to church. So they have fun and have gotten very creative. This is one masterpiece by boots of Nana Grandad and Sasha.

Brian recently got some glasses and I think he is so cute, I think he thinks that he looks smarter them too. Haha

He had really stepped up as a full time dad and working husband as well with te business we have led. We honestly pass by in the driveway and tell through the rolled down windows "hi! Bye!"

But of course altogether life is fabulous and we are very blessed. There are hard times and these are hard but they are doable. We are working together as a family and learning how to get over certain hurdles that we are being faced with. The kids are all struggling with the change in the adjustment of not having mom at their Beckins call. But I love them so much and I'm so proud of all of their accomplishments and how sweet their personalities are.

Tuesday, January 21

I am having a fabulous time watching my sisters kiddos for the week. Going from 3 kids to 8 kids is a jump but it's been ... Interesting? No it's fun. No, it's been hard... No, fun. No I don't know what it is!! Luckily I love them like my own kids so it works easily.

I started a sticker chart for everyone and they are earning stickers to change in at the end if the week for a movie or candy or money. It's working like a gem. Happy well behavior from almost all! My kids are having the hardest time with it!

We are 4 days in and we have gone through 78 paper plates, 24 yogart tubes, 32 cheese strings, 500 fruit snacks, and too much toilet paper! I don't know how these large families do it without breaking the bank!

Let's see what else we can accomplish this week and how much more fun we can have! Here's to being a family of 10 for a week!

Tuesday, January 7

I have a few new favorite things... One is my turban, it's my special towel that dries my hair super fast. Turbie twist is the name and I am obsessed!

Next is my polar heart rate monitor. It keeps track of my calories burned and I loooove it! Thanks to my sister... It was a birthday gift a few months back. It's the best.

Candle light. I got this candelabra at ikea and I want to light it every night and every morning. It brings a charm that I love! I will be in the market for more candle opinions to switch out occasionally.

Monday, January 6

Tonight for family home evening we talked about doing hard things and making sacrifices.

Natalie has been wanting to give up on a lot of things as soon as they get hard, and we are trying to figure out a way that we can help her fight through.

A few weeks ago she got moved up into the intermediate gymnastics class from the beginners gymnastics class. Today was her first day in the class and she came home with her hips a little bit bruised up. She told me that she wanted to quit and that she didn't want to try hard. I try to talk to her about things that are hard like reading or math or cleaning but we don't give up on those. She insisted that she wanted to give up on all of those things too.

So we had the kids tell us things that we sacrifice for like typing or fasting for our time and Natalie made the connection about gymnastics. I don't want to frustrate her more, I just want her to excel and learned that hard work brings good things.

I am learning that as my children grow and go through different phases in their lives I am faced with many more challenges as a mother and parents. It makes me want to read a new book with each challenge. It is so hard to know what to do and each child is so individual in the way that we treat them.

I am looking for the key to making my children realize that they are good enough and important and special and that they can do anything that they set their mind too. Even if that means that it takes a long time to get there and a lot of hard work.

It is also hard to teach this two children when I as a 30-year-old struggle with it every day. I guess the next principle that I need to teach my children is that they can rely upon the Lord for help when things get hard. No matter how silly or small we think our problem is the Lord wants to hear and wants to help. Okay, I just figured out our next family home evening lesson.

Wednesday, January 1

Well the Holidays were a blast. We had tons of family in town and were going going going. I was wanting to publish this last blog of the year in time for the 2013 to come to a close, but here I am the next day. Noone cares but me, in fact I am pretty sure no one reads this but me! But I love my books and love them to be accurate!
Church was beautiful the Sunday before Christmas. It was a musical program and it was just so moving. Brian, Libby, and I sang in choir and Brian sang a mens song, libby and I sang a womens song and then libby sang in a trio. It was so wonderful and I cried and cried. I love our Savior and it was another wonderful year to remember his birth and the life that he lived. He was a king born in a stable. The miracle around his birth is incredible, before and after.
So Sunday was great! Then we hosted dinner that night at our house. Alfredo got us all blocked up to start the week!

We hit up Main Event on Taylors birthday to celebrate and had a ton of fun. Natalie tried the gravity course, which is like a ropes course, but she was scared so we bowled the whole time, me nat and her. The rest all joined us after a while and the little girls, Carleigh and Courtney were best buddies.

Hot tubbing and hanging out, Lots of laughs and more inside jokes, Newby with his new drink concoction, and jumping in the freezing pool. 14 kids and 10 adults made for a LOT of people!

Then we did gingerbread houses, which really is such a waste of everything. Time, money, candy.. but the kids loved it and I did too... I made my own house. I couldn't help it!

Then Christmas eve we did a doorstep ding dong drop Christmas for a secret family. It was so fun to shop together, all 24 of us, and then wrap it all and then deliver it all. The kids loved it and we were able to serve together.
Then it was back to Libby's house for Christmas eve dinner, bread bowls and delicious soup. Bells, Music, singing, and the nativity. Cousin gift exchange and opening jammies. IT was very overwhelming for me... all the people but it was really fun. Lessons learned, I am a horrible play director. I was in charge of the nativity and I was not organized or good... but in my defense, I was working with 14 kids. haha

Christmas morning was so fun. We had the kids sleep in our room that night and Natalie took forever to fall asleep. 11pm I think. Bike, scooter, and a piano was what Santa brought and the kids were so excited. I really tried to cut back this year, as I talked about a few posts ago, and it was really hard right up until Christmas Day. Santa and me wanted to spoil them so bad, but we knew the budget wouldn't budge... and that they didn't need any more. I am so glad we went relatively small this year. They were so grateful for what they got and there isn't an overload of gifts laying around to be played with.

Then I somehow forgot my camera at the Rawlins... but we spent the early afternoon hanging out eating way too many rolls and lounging on the couch. More wonderful presents and I stuffed my face with cheese ball, my holiday weakness. IT was low key, which was just what was needed.
Later that night it was back out with the Miller clan for dinner. I think that is all we do EAT.
Then the kids opened their gifts from Nana and Grandad. The girls all got American Girls, Nataile got her special Kit that she has been asking for. Court got a bitty baby, which she promptly named Dee Dee... her imaginary dolls name. She really wanted one with dark skin and she loves it so much!

Pedi's were on the schedule. Poor Bonnie got sick and couldn't join us for the rest of the festivities but it was the best pedi. Jump Street, and parks and more play play play.

Finally on the last day they were here, we headed over to the American Girl Doll store for some fun at the café. Carleigh was celebrating her birthday and it was so fun to have everyone there to play and be girly! I wish I would have had one growing up, but sadly there was no such thing as Canadian Girl. But man, this store is sooooo adorable and big trouble for our family. The New doll of the year just came out and she is cute!